


Everything I Wanted

by Ellsey



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Definite relationship, F/M, Fluff, possible canon divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25861684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellsey/pseuds/Ellsey
Summary: A collection of Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa fluff because they deserve a thousand happy endings
Relationships: Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 134
Kudos: 244





	1. Texting

“Ok, so see this little blue icon here that says messages?”

“Blue icon, right,” Daniel said, sounding unsure.

Getting Daniel up to speed on modern technology was at once a funny and inspiring process. Funny because he was adorable when he got overwhelmed by it all and inspiring because he just adapted so quickly. Daisy was amazed at how well he picked up new things.

Which brought them to today’s lesson: texting.

“Right,” Daisy continued. “So then you touch right here, and the keyboard will pop up. Then you just type in your message.”

“Well, at least typing is something I’m good at,” he sighed.

Daisy gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re good at so many things. Anyway, you just type what you want in here.” Daisy began to type.

_ Daisy is the best gf ever so glad she dates me  _

“And if you press this little face here, it brings up all these emojis,” Daisy said. “You can use them to react without words. Like for this message I’d add winky face, heart eyes, and eggplant.”

Daniel looked very confused now. “I get the wink and the heart face I think, but why the eggplant?”

“You know what, you’re probably right. You’re not ready for the eggplant just yet. Let’s just press this button here and back that cursor up. There, now your message looks great, so the last thing you do is press send.”

As soon as she pressed send they heard her phone give a notification.

“Is it really always that fast?” Daniel asked.

“Yep.” Daisy grabbed her phone and quickly typed out a message. She picked up Daniel’s phone and showed him how to get to the text she sent. 

He stared at his phone. “Daisy, this isn’t English.”

“Yes it is,” she laughed. “‘Thanks you’re not too bad yourself.’ Sounds like English to me.”

“That’s not...” Daniel squinted at his phone. “I guess if you read some of these phonetically then maybe…”

“You’re going to be one of those old people who texts complete sentences, aren’t you?” Daisy asked with a laugh.

“It just seems like good communication skills,” Daniel complained. “I do like the little pictures though. What did you call them?”

“Emoji. I should probably warn you though that a lot of them have a double meaning,” Daisy said. “So you should be careful with what you use.”

“That sounds...unnecessarily complicated.”

“You’re not completely wrong. I mean the meanings can change all the time,” Daisy said. “But don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. I know that head of yours does much more than just look exceptionally handsome.”

Daniel smiled at her. “Well I guess flattering someone into agreeing to whatever you say hasn’t changed.”

“Nope!” Daisy said cheerfully. 

Daisy quickly discovered that she had neglected a very important lesson when she received a text from Jemma that said, “I think your boyfriend sent me a message by mistake.” So Daisy quickly showed Daniel how to check who you were sending the message to and how to change the receiver. He had blushed when he found out Jemma had gotten his message, but it had been a fairly innocent message all things considered. He still sent her an apology text.

“NP, smiley face, thumbs up,” he read aloud. “NP?”

“No problem,” Daisy said. 

“No problem,” Daniel repeated. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

Over the following days, Daniel became more and more comfortable with texting. Daisy hadn’t been wrong about him either. He did tend to text in complete sentences. And he never did quite understand emoji usage.

The one thing he had completely mastered though was the ability to make Daisy smile each and every time. 

Soon his messages became the highlights of those days she had to spend time away from him. She was pretty sure some of the others laughed at how happy the messages made her, but that wasn’t going to change her delight in them. 

One of the best messages though came when she was least suspecting it. She had been out helping a new Inhuman and was exhausted. She sent Daniel a quick message that she’d be home soon. Soon her phone indicated a reply.

_ Great! Can’t wait to see you. _

Daisy felt her jaw drop because the message was followed by two emoji: heart eyes and eggplant.

_ Daniel Sousa, did you just send me an eggplant emoji???  _

_ Yes. Mack said I was ready. _

_ You talk to Mack? _

_ After you told me about group texts I wanted to try it out. So I have a group text with everyone but you. They have been very helpful. _

_ I’ll just bet they have.  _

_ Although, no one has really explained the eggplant to me. Are you just a really big fan of eggplant? We never eat it in any meals. I had no idea. _

This sent Daisy into a fit of hysterics. She was going to kill her friends when she saw them next. 

_ You know what, I’ll show you exactly what it means when I get home _


	2. Finding Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy takes Daniel out to enjoy a celebration at the end of summer and things get a little philosophical

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this was brought on my my hatred of summer and wishing it would end already and the song "Don't Wanna Be Without Ya" by Penny and Sparrow. Legit had that on repeat while writing, so I hope I was able to capture some of that energy.

“Hey, do we have any plans for tonight?”

Daniel looked up at her from behind the newspaper he was reading. It was such a strange habit, but Daisy supposed a trip out to buy an actual newspaper every morning was a familiar ritual for her man out of time. 

“Not that I’m aware,” he said. “Why?”

“Well, I had an idea. I heard that the community around here has an end of summer celebration. They shoot off some fireworks and stuff. I thought it might be fun.” 

Daisy immediately noticed that tenseness to Daniel’s shoulders and mouth that indicated that he was uncomfortable with something. It didn’t take Daisy too long to figure out what it was.

“Oh, sorry, would the sounds be too much?” Daisy asked. She knew quite well that he still had nightmares; flashbacks to his time in the war. She had her own demons, and they had both been working to learn each other’s triggers.

He immediately began to relax. “Yes. Sorry. I haven’t actually been able to watch fireworks since coming back.”

Daisy shook her head. “You don’t need to be sorry. I understand completely.” She thought for a moment, then had an idea. “Daniel, do you trust me?”

“With my life,” he answered, clearly confused. “Why?” 

“I think I have a solution.” Daisy hopped up from her chair. “I gotta go get some stuff. See you later.” She gave him a quick kiss then hurried out the door.

Later that evening, Daisy found Daniel reading a history book. It was one of his preferred ways to catch up on what he had skipped through. 

“Ready to go?”

“I...didn’t know we were going anywhere,” Daniel said.

“We totally talked about it this morning. Anyway, you don’t have to do anything but come with me,” Daisy said.

Daniel nodded his head and stood. “Whatever you say, Agent Johnson.”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “This will be worth it. Just trust me.”

Daisy drove them to the spot she had scouted out earlier in the day. It was a very quiet, secluded park beside a lake. They got out of the car, and Daisy pulled out the supplies she had gathered.

“Can you lay that blanket out,” she asked Daniel.

He did as she asked, but he looked confused and a little apprehensive. Daisy put her bags down on the blanket and sat down. She patted the spot next to her.

“So, two things,” she began. “First, the fireworks show is across this large lake, so we’re pretty far from the noise. Second, I got you these.” She reached into a bag and handed Daniel a box.

“What is this?”

“Noise cancelling headphones.” Daisy helped Daniel open the box and pull out the headphones. “If you turn these on then, combined with the distance, you shouldn't hear much of anything. All you’ll get is a pretty light show.”

“Really?” Daniel put on the headphones. “I don’t know if they are doing anything.”

“You have to turn them on. But I should warn you that you won’t hear me either, so once they’re on we can’t communicate verbally. At least until you take them off.”

“Wow.” Daniel took off the headphones and looked at them in wonder.

“I..I think this should work,” Daisy said. “But if it gets too intense for you, we can leave.”

Daniel looked wary, but he just shook his head in agreement. When the time came he put on the headphones, and Daisy helped him turn them on. The fireworks were not very loud at the distance they were sitting, and after the first few she could see Daniel’s tense posture soften. 

“Wow, I really can’t hear anything,” he said, a little overly loud, but Daisy didn’t mind.

After a while, Daniel really began to enjoy the show. It seemed like every other one was his favorite, and he mentioned more than once how impressive these were compared to the fireworks in his time. Daisy meanwhile spent more time watching Daniels’s face than the fireworks. His broad smile was ample reward for the work she had put into making this happen.

She scooted closer, and he put his arm around her shoulders. There was a gentle breeze blowing off the lake, and Daisy was content to just be sitting here next to Daniel. 

When the show ended, Daniel took off the headphones. “Wow” was all he managed to say.

“Worth it?” Daisy asked.

“Absolutely.”

Daisy stretched out on the blanket. “May as well take advantage of this lovely evening while we can. It will start getting cooler soon.”

Daniel laid down as well. “Look at all those stars. Hard to believe I’ve actually been up there.” His hand found Daisy’s.

“You should see all the different planets you can visit,” Daisy said. “We spent a year out there looking for Fitz. There’s so much to see out there. You’d be amazed.”

“I bet I would. Why were you looking for Fitz for a year?”

“Whew boy, that’s a long story,” Daisy said with a rueful laugh. “Basically there were two Fitzes thanks to a time loop but then the Fitz with us died, so Jemma went to find the other Fitz. He was supposed to be in a cryochamber under Enoch’s care, but you know how that goes.”

“I...don’t actually,” Daniel said. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”

Daisy laughed again. “I know how strange it must sound, but technically Jemma is on her second Fitz. Time travel is kind of the worst.”

“Really?”

Daisy couldn’t help but smile. “Well, there are some definite pros. But time travel still hurts my head.” 

“I understand that feeling,” Daniel said. 

They just lay there for a while, side by side, and watched the stars move slowly by. Then Daisy was struck by a thought.

“Do you think we always end up together? Like this?”

Daniel took a controlled breath before answering. “Honestly, I have no idea. Fitz talked about seeing many different timelines, so I suppose there must be some where we didn’t even meet.”

Daisy turned her head to look at Daniel. “Do you think those other versions of us are happy?”

“Probably. I mean you and I both had lives before we met.” Daniel gave a small sigh. “I was happy. Well, I thought I was happy, because before meeting you I never knew what I was missing.”

“I guess. It makes sense,” Daisy said. “Still, I feel sorry for those Sousa-less Daisys. Even if they don’t really know what they’re missing, I think they still feel like something is missing. Like some important part of them just isn’t there.”

“Yeah, but if you guys don’t even come rescue me, then I’m long dead by the time you come along. Who knows? Maybe some part of me would still find you no matter what.”

“That’s a nice thought. You get reincarnated into my loyal pet who never leaves my side.”

Daniel laughed. “Maybe we’ll both be pets. Pets who can’t be separated.”

Now Daisy laughed. “Maybe we’ll both be daisies who grow next to each other and fight for sunlight.”

“Now then, that doesn’t sound like us,” Daniel said. “Daisy Daniel would definitely let Daisy Daisy have the most sun.”

Daisy shook her head. “That’s way too many daisies.”

“One Daisy is definitely plenty for me,” Daniel agreed. “I can’t speak for all the Daniel Sousas in all the different timelines, but I know that this Daniel will always find his Daisy.”

Daisy scooted herself close enough to give Daniel a kiss. “This Daisy is very happy to hear that.”

Daniel wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a much deeper kiss. When they finally separated, Daisy could feel Daniel’s smile in the darkness.

“This Daniel definitely loves this Daisy,” he said.

“Yeah, well, I think this Daniel is about to get lucky too.”

Daniel pulled Daisy closer, and Daisy felt just for a moment that this always would have happened. Daniel Sousa and Daisy Johnson would always find each other, one way or another.

It was a beautiful thought.


	3. Sunday Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Daisy, something like a Sunday morning off has meant different things at different times in her life. She was learning to enjoy it now.

Daisy used to hate Sunday mornings. When she was in the orphanage it meant long religious services with the nuns watching very carefully. Stepping out of line in the slightest meant immediate punishment.

Bouncing from house to house, the weekends usually meant time stuck with people who barely seemed to want her there. At least in school she could hide, pretend she had a nice home to go to. Sundays reminded her that she didn’t. She wasn’t wanted.

As a young adult, Sundays weren’t so bad. Just a bit lonely at times. Occasionally she had company, but it never lasted for long.

Things changed when she got picked up by Shield. All of a sudden, she had friends. A family. Of course, they were always saving the world, so they didn’t necessarily have a lot of days off. But when they did, they had so much fun. Sometimes it was games or movies with Fitz and Simmons. On really good days, Coulson would tell them stories about history or his past adventures. Sometimes even May would tell them a story or two. 

As her Shield family grew, Daisy found herself looking forward to downtime. She had so many people to spend time with. People who seemed to want to be around her. It was a new and strange feeling. Sadly though, the more people came into her life, the more people left. Some, like Bobbi and Hunter, were out there living their lives still. Others, like Trip and Lincoln were not. Daisy missed all of them desperately.

Traveling in space to look for Fitz for a year brought a different kind of Sunday. Really days were hard to keep up with out there, but Jemma insisted that they do their best. Time off then meant bonding with Jemma, whether that was comforting her when she missed Fitz too much or encouraging her to try something new. Bangs and purple hair were far from “bad girl shenanigans,” but they were fun.

Then she had met Daniel Sousa, and things changed dramatically. Daisy found that she actually looked forward to those Sunday mornings. In the early days of navigating their new relationship, those mornings meant seeking out Daniel to spend a few quiet moments alone before the rest of the base demanded their time. As things progressed, Daisy didn’t have to go as far to have those moments. She remembered the first time she had woken up beside him and realized that they had nothing to do that day. No meetings, no missions, no training...nothing.

For a while she had just sat there, watching Daniel sleep. It was a face she was very familiar with. How many times had she seen that sleeping face in the time loops? Well, even more than she could remember thanks to dying in the loops.

Daisy wondered if she looked this peaceful when she slept. This...open. Watching his chest slowly go up and down was relaxing. She thought about waking him up to continue the fun from last night, but something in her craved his calm. So she curled up by his side, putting her head on his chest, and allowed herself to listen to his heart thumping slowly beneath her. He woke up just enough to put one arm around her, settling his hand near her hip. She laid one arm across him, gently tracing with her finger a small strip of skin that showed where his shirt had pulled up slightly. She followed the curve of his hip bone, then felt a pleased rumble beneath her ear.

“I thought you were ‘thoroughly worn out’. Isn’t that what you said?” he asked, voice heavy with sleep.

She lightly laughed. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to start something.”

“No?”

“Well, I wasn’t, but that doesn’t mean I’m not now,” she said, lifting her head to look at him.

He just laughed and pulled her face to his.

On Z3 everyone had express orders to not bother them once a week. Daisy didn’t really keep up with days well in space (again), but she made sure she had at least one “Sunday” a week to sleep in. Or not. She had gotten used to having that time with just Daniel, and she wasn’t going to give it up easily. 

When they were back on Earth, they got an apartment together, a space of their own for two people who had felt very out of place at one point or another in their lives. Daisy loved her adventures and seeing everything there was in space, but she found that this was her new favorite place. Mostly because Daniel was there.

And those early mornings were her favorite, when she could ignore everything else and just focus on this moment. She especially loved it when it was raining outside, the steady rhythm of the water on the window matching their own, steady, never rushing, making the most of every moment together.

She loved that smile she could draw from him, that look that she knew was just for her. She loved to see those mussed up dark curls, so different from his usual neat hairstyle. Ultimately it came as a huge shock when she realized that she really loved her life. It had taken a long time for her to be able to say that. 

Daisy had a feeling if those nuns could see her Sunday mornings now they’d be pretty scandalized, but she felt like those mornings were just about perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been brought to you by the weather where I live and the fact that I'm hot for my husband ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	4. Music Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy takes it upon herself to teach Sousa and Kora about how music has changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was roundabout based on a prompt from @scarletoceann on tumblr requesting a oneshot of them listening to music from the 2000's era.

“I might need you to do just a little light hacking,” Mack told Daisy, which sounded fine to her. Sure, being a superhero was helpful in some situations, but really, she loved going back to her roots. Just some 1s and 0s between her and success. It was simpler sometimes.

She sat down at the terminal and loaded some music up on her phone. She didn’t bother with ear buds because she was the only person in the room, and she soon got lost in lines of code.

What Mack wanted was a little more difficult than he had let on, but Daisy didn’t mind. She bopped to her music as she typed, and pretty soon she had gotten what she needed. She finished up what she was doing and made sure to cover any traces of what she had done. 

Hacking had put Daisy in a good mood, and when she stood up she bounced slightly to the music. 

_ I bet you look good on the dancefloor _ the singer growled. Daisy spun around...right into a solid body. She jumped back slightly and looked up.

“Sousa, what are you doing here?”

“I was just looking for you. It’s lunchtime.” He looked around the room. “Mack told me you were in here doing ‘your thing.’”

Daisy laughed. “Yeah, I was just taking care of something on the computer for him.”

Sousa focused in on the phone. “Interesting...music.”

“Oh yeah, I guess it probably does sound much different that you’re used to,” Daisy said. 

“I don’t know, I agree with the sentiment. I bet you do look good on the dance floor.”

Daisy turned the music off. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. But we should totally listen to some music together. Get you all caught up on what’s changed. I mean, who was popular in your day? The Beatles? Elvis?”

Sousa made a face. “Who?”

“Aw man, you’ve missed a lot. This may take a while,” Daisy said with a grimace.

“Maybe,” Sousa said. “Say, didn’t you tell me that we could easily listen to music from my era too?”

“Yeah,” Daisy said with a nod.

“Well, how about this? I’ll listen to a song you pick, and then you listen to a song I pick. An even trade of music.”

Daisy smiled. “You’ve got a deal.”

The first thing Daisy did was to text her Shield family and ask what they thought were the most essential songs to listen to between 1955 and now. The replies made her laugh. Fitz sent her a list of Scottish bands only. Jemma did research on the best songs as voted by important music journalists and sent that. Elena provided some songs she had listened to growing up in Colombia. Mack said he’d share a playlist of music that was “actually good.” Coulson provided an indexed list of popular songs for each decade from the 1950s to today. 

May just texted.  _ Do you want popular music or just music to set the mood? _

_ Ew, Mom, don’t be inappropriate. _ Daisy wrote back.  _ But also why not both? _

Daisy also sent out some covert messages and laughed some more when she received a link to a playlist titled “Damn the Yanks” made by the King of England. The other member of that duo sent an email with some songs and a note that just said, “You’re going to give me more details about this guy soon, right? -B”

Daisy asked Kora if she wanted to be included. After all, she had missed out on a great deal too. Kora said yes, and starting that night they began Daisy’s class in “Music Education for People Out of Time.” Daisy and Sousa took turns playing music they were familiar with. Kora knew fewer songs, telling the other two that she hadn’t really listened to a lot of popular music while at Afterlife. 

They had very different tastes in music it seemed. Daisy liked the angsty alt rock that reminded her of hacktivist days, Kora was drawn to pop, and Sousa preferred things that sounded more like the songs of his era. 

As Daisy went through the other songs sent to her, they each discovered something new. One of Daisy’s favorite moments was when Kora pulled her up to dance while listening to “She Loves You.” Even Sousa seemed to agree that The Beatles had something good going in their music.

Sousa played songs he remembered. Daisy laughed at a song called “Jambalaya.” 

“I’m pretty sure this dude is straight up singing about food,” she said.

“Maybe that was the thing most worth singing about ‘on the bayou’,” Sousa said with a shrug.

Kora was very into Fiona Apple. “She gets me.”

“She gets all of us,” Daisy agreed.

Sousa made a face. “Well…” he started.

“Except Sousa,” Daisy said with an eye roll. “You’re too inherently good to feel our pain.”

“Hey,” he said, “I bent the rules a time or two in my SSR days.”

“Did you really bend the rules, or did you just do what Peggy told you to?” Daisy asked.

He shrugged. “They were usually the same thing.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Some nights Kora had other things to do, and Daisy and Sousa were left to have a musical journey on their own. Daisy asked Sousa about listening to music from the war, wondering if it might bring back too many bad memories, but he said he thought it would be fine.

_ We'll meet again _

_ Don't know where _

_ Don't know when _

_ But I know we'll meet again some sunny day _

“Was all the music this depressing?” Daisy asked.

Sousa thought for a moment. “Well, we weren’t ever sure if we would be coming back from the front...or how much of us would be coming back even if we did.” He waved at his leg. “That doesn’t always make for the peppiest music.”

“Sorry,” Daisy said with a frown. “I didn’t even think about that.”

“Hey, I made it back mostly in one piece,” he replied, shrugging slightly. “And this new leg is pretty darn impressive. I never imagined I would be walking this well again. I’ve been very fortunate.”

“I think we both have,” Daisy said, taking his hand in hers.

The next song was a jazz standard that Daisy was kind of familiar with.

“See, this is what I’m talking about. Much more lively.”

“Ah yes, ‘In the Mood.’ This one was popular at all the dances,” Sousa said.

“Dances?” Daisy asked. “What dances?”

“You know, the dances.” Sousa looked confused for a moment. “There were always dances. School dances. Socials. Going to war dances. On leave dances. Going home dances. So many dances.”

“Wow. I bet you tore it up on the dance floor, didn’t you?”

Sousa smiled at some past memories. “Well, I’m not sure you could say I tore it up, but I never lacked for partners, which is more than I could say for some fellows.” He paused, and the smile dropped. “Of course, that was before the war. Once I came back, well, I’m not sure I even bothered going to any. No one would have wanted a dance with me anyway.”

“Why not?” Daisy asked. “Just because of your leg?”

The music switched to a slightly slower song from the 50s, and Sousa stood up. 

“I could probably manage better now,” he said, holding a hand out to Daisy. “What do you say?”

Daisy stood and took his hand. “I should warn you that I’m not an experienced dancer.”

He put one hand around her waist and held her hand in the other. “Well I haven’t danced on this new leg at all, so we’re probably in the same boat.”

_ It’s very clear, our love is here to stay _

They swayed to the music, then Sousa pulled back and gave Daisy a twirl with one hand, promptly pulling her back close again.

“Hey now, you do have some moves,” Daisy said.

“One or two,” he replied. “Although it’d be easier if you let me lead.”

“What?” Daisy jumped. “I didn’t know I wasn’t.”

Sousa laughed. “I wouldn’t expect anything different actually.”

They danced for a few moments in silence, then Daisy said, “You never answered my question.”

“Hmmm?” 

“About why you never danced after the war.”

“Oh that.” He took in a deep breath then slowly let it out. “The thing is, people were quick to thank me for my service to our country, but when it came down to it, they didn’t care to be seen getting too close to someone with a metal crutch.”

“That must have been hard,” Daisy said.

Sousa spun Daisy around again. “You get used to it after a while,” he said after he had pulled her close again.

Daisy rested her head next to his and closed her eyes. “This is nice,” she said after enjoying herself for a moment.

“It is,” he said in agreement.

The song had changed, but Daisy didn’t want to step away. Between time travel and saving the world, sometimes things seemed very complicated to navigate. But this was simple. Easy. It made sense.

“For the record, I would have danced with you, metal crutch and all.”

She could sense his smile. “You think so?”

“I know so,” she replied. “Mostly because it’d make it a lot easier for me to lead.”

Sousa laughed. “Now that I definitely believe.” He spun Daisy away from him. “And for the record, I’m not opposed to letting you lead. On some occasions.”

Daisy raised an eyebrow. “I bet I can make it worth your while.”

“I’ve no doubt that you can.”

“Are you blushing Sousa?”

He made a face. “Of course not.”

“You totally are!” Daisy laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s cute.”

“I’m totally not,” he said, mimicking her. “But thank you anyway. Shouldn’t it be your turn to play a song?”

“Oh yeah,” Daisy reached for her phone to change to something else. “You danced with me and got me all confused.” She thumbed through the list of music, looking for something to keep the mood. 

When the song started to play, Daisy reached for his hand and asked, “What do you say? Want to go again?”

Sousa smiled at her. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the dances thing is based on my Grandma talking about her youth and the fact that she apparently danced her way through it. Of course, she said she also used to sing in Spanish for rich white ladies and was paid in food, so I realize she may not have had a universal experience. But whatever.


	5. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy and Daniel finally get a chance to go home, and Daisy reflects on what home really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was based on the fall prompt "homecoming" as requested by @disisphlebotinum on tumblr

Daisy loved space. She really did. Most of the time.

She loved traveling with her sister and boyfriend. She loved her crew. She loved making new alliances. 

She was also very ready to be home.

Z3 had been built to her specifications, and it was a wonderful home away from home. She had even convinced Coulson to come out with them for a bit, and that had been way more fun than it should have been. Coulson and Daniel got along great. Coulson had basically adopted Kora. It made Daisy very happy.

But they were finally going home. To Earth. Mack wanted to send some other people out into space for a bit, and he told Daisy that it was time for her to stay Earthbound for a bit. 

“What’s the first thing you’re going to do when we get back to Earth?” Daisy asked Daniel the night before they would be back.

“Take a walk outside. You know with trees and grass and fresh air fit for humans to breathe.”

Daisy laughed. “Boooring.”

“Well, what did you expect?” he asked. “You know me. What are you going to do that’s so exciting then?”

“Well…” Daisy thought for a moment. “Probably get some tacos. I hear Flint knows all the best places now. Oh, and sleep in a real bed.”

“What, do you mean this bunk isn’t good enough for you?” Daniel patted the mattress they lay on.

“It has done its job, but I want a real bed with like a pillow top mattress and big fluffy pillows and everything. Oh, and you are taking me out.”

“Am I now?”

“Yes. There will be food and talking and if you play your cards right I might invite you back to my place.”

Daniel gave her that look that she knew very well by now. “Only if I play my cards right?”

“Well, I don’t want you to think you don’t have to try.”

“That’s fair,” Daniel said with a nod. “Although, since we live in the same place, that might make things awkward if you don’t invite me in.”

“Then I guess you better be on your best behavior,” Daisy replied. “Or not. That might serve you better actually.”

* * *

Daisy wasn’t lying. The first thing she did when they got home was to rush into their bedroom and bury herself into the bed. 

“Davis or someone must have come and aired this place out,” she said in a muffled voice. “Doesn’t smell stale at all.” They had given a few trusted people (and robots) spare keys to check up on the place while they were in space for extended periods.

After defeating the Chronicoms, those staying in Shield had stayed at the Lighthouse for a while as things got rebuilt. Daisy had cringed at the thought, but there were just so many things that needed to be straightened out. The Lighthouse was an obvious answer to the housing issue. 

It didn’t take that long for two bunks to become one for Daisy and Sousa, and pretty soon that one bunk started to seem very, very small. By the time the new headquarters of Shield was finished, they decided they needed a new place to live. Just the two of them.

They found a condo near HQ. It wasn’t exactly the house of their dreams, but it didn’t require a lot of maintenance from people who wouldn’t be there all the time anyway. 

Daisy rolled to her back and looked around. She was surprised at how quickly this place had started to feel like home. She had always resisted trying to feel too comfortable in a new place, knowing that she likely wouldn’t be there for long anyway. It was hard to let go of that habit.

Here though, it just became natural. She would never forget that Daniel had insisted on carrying her, bridal style, into the place. She had laughed the entire time, but he had insisted. 

“The last time I carried you, you were passed out and I was 75% sure we might die. We need to rewrite that memory,” he had said.

Their couch was home to so many movie nights, many of them with Kora. In fact, just the process of buying furniture had been a memory making process. Daisy reflected that she had never actually had to buy furniture before, even after joining Shield. This whole place reflected her (and Daniel, but really he had mostly just gone along with whatever she wanted).

They had an extra bedroom, and Daisy had let Kora decide on much of what went in there. Daisy realized that Kora had not ever had that choice either, having lived at Afterlife her entire life. So now Kora also had one small space that was home to her whenever she needed it.

“Should I order some take-out?” Daniel asked as he came into the room. “I’m guessing you don’t feel like going shopping right now.”

“You would be very correct. Be my guest.”

Daisy closed her eyes and relaxed. Home had always seemed like such a tenuous concept to her. Growing up, home was in herself, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to find it anywhere else. After joining Shield, home became the people she loved and who loved her back. No matter where she went, she knew she was home when she was with her Shield family.

Now though, she understood that a place could be home as well. A place that she had to come to after a long day out in the field or a long time out in space. More impressively, this place incorporated all the definitions of home she could have imagined. She had herself, people she loved and loved her back, and a physical place to come back to. Basically she had everything she had ever wanted.

It was nice.

Daisy bounced ever so slightly as Daniel sat down. He stretched out next to her.

“Ohhh, you weren’t wrong. This is way better than the bunk on Z3,” he said.

“Ha!” Daisy said triumphantly. “I won the tough Army guy over. Respect my skills.”

Daniel laughed. “I don’t think it took a bed to do that.”

“Didn’t it?”

Another laugh. “Well, I guess it didn’t hurt.”

Daisy rolled next to him, resting her head on his chest. She could feel herself rapidly drifting to sleep.

“You know, one of us has to stay awake to open the door for the food delivery guy,” she said.

“I’m on it,” Daniel said, but Daisy thought he didn’t sound very convincing. “It’s just so nice to be home.”

He was right. Daisy was home.


	6. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy and Daniel are looking for a place together, which provides for some surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for Dousy Week 2020 Day 3 for the prompt home, combined with my fall prompt of "change," and also combined with an anon prompt of Daisy casually mentioning she's never had a proper home. Whew that's a lot.

Daisy Johnson didn’t do well with change, and Daniel understood that. At least he thought he did. He had decided early on in their relationship that the best thing to do was to just let Daisy take the lead in...well...everything, while also being there for when she needed support. It had worked well so far.

This time though, he was surprised. At least a little. He had thought it was a fairly straightforward question.

“Should we start looking at some apartments together?”

Mack wanted them Earthbound for a bit to give other people the chance for interstellar travel, and Daniel was thinking it would be nice to settle down for a bit. They had been sharing a bunk for so long now there was no question in his mind that of course they would be looking for a place together.

Daisy completely froze though. He recognized that look immediately. It was the look of Daisy internally panicking at something. She tried very hard not to show it, but inevitably there was a tightening about the mouth and a stiffness to her movements that gave her away to anyone who really knew her.

He was naturally curious as to what was the source of her panic. Was it that they were going to be in one place for a bit? She definitely seemed to love space. Was it the thought of solidifying their relationship in this way? Daniel supposed that this was possible, but he also didn’t understand this line of thought because how could they be more solid than they already were? Or was it just something different altogether? Something she hadn’t told him? There were a lot of things she tried to keep to herself, things about her past that she kept close. He never tried to push on these subjects, knowing that if it was relevant she would tell him.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?”

That single term of endearment seemed to shake whatever ghost was haunting Daisy out of her. 

“Yep, I’m good. And yes, we should start looking at places.”

Daniel just nodded. Whatever it was that spooked her seemed to be fleeting.

They had fun looking at places that seemed like dreams then narrowing down to real choices based on budget. Surprisingly, Daisy was much more careful when it came to cost. Ultimately they picked a modest place in a decent neighborhood and went from there.

He had almost forgotten completely about the incident with Daisy until they were actually moving into the place. She was hefting a box through the door of the bedroom when she paused and looked around.

“You know, I’ve never really had a home. Not really,” she said casually.

“What do you mean?”

She put the box down and looked at him. “Well, you know I moved from place to place as a kid. I lived for a van in a while as a young adult. Then I got picked up by Shield and, well, you know how that goes I’m sure. I lived in a plane, a secret hideout or two, a space station in the future...anyway, you get my drift.”

Daniel immediately knew that this was it. This was the thing that had shocked and terrified her. “So how do you really feel about this? The apartment and...me?”

Daisy stared off for a bit. “Scared,” she said finally.

“Scared?”

“Scared that it’s all going to disappear at some point. It all feels a bit like a childhood dream.” She laughed. “I almost want to pinch myself.”

Daniel went over and put his arms around her. “I can’t promise you that everything will be perfect from now on, or that your childhood dreams will all come true, but I can promise you that I am not going anywhere. Not willingly, anyway.”

He could feel her relaxing some. “No, I know. You’ve been my support from almost the moment I met you. I just...I just have to accept that good things can happen to me, you know? I think for a long time I thought that good things could only happen to other people, and I was just here to suffer.”

Daniel kissed her then placed his forehead on hers. “Sometimes I think the world has asked too much of you. I know that you feel it is your duty to protect everything and everyone, but never forget that no matter what happens you have a home here with me. Well, not always here, here,” he said, waving his hand around, “but at any place of our choosing.”

“Home,” she echoed. “It sounds nice.”

“It is nice. Now why don’t we make some memories in our home.”

Daisy looked up at him and laughed. “I like the way your mind works.”

“That’s not the only thing you like about me.”

“You are very correct, sir. C’mon,” she said, pulling him toward the bedroom. “Help me put up this box, and then I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Yes, making a home with Daisy was going to be wonderful.

  
  



	7. Still Strong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy takes a moment to reflect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But wait, there's more! US Thanksgiving bonus drabble! Written for Dousy Week 2020 Day 4, prompt of "warmth" combined with my fall prompt of "gold."

“It’s really starting to come down.”

Daisy glances out the window. “Yep. Guess we’ll have to hunker down for a bit. Hope the power doesn’t go out.”

It does.

“Lucky we have a fireplace,” Daisy says.

“Lucky I know how to make a fire,” Daniel says.

“Well, I’m better at shaking things so…”

They do all the typical things to entertain themselves. Later, Daisy finds herself staring into the fire. There’s a streak of gold that wavers but stays strong. Daisy feels that they are a lot like that gold streak. Sometimes wavering but still strong. What a love story.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send me your fluffly/happy/domestic prompts! You can find me on tumblr @ellsey


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